Building an online marketing campaign: section, mini-site or social media?

For many organisations, particularly not-for-profits, the marketing calendar involves a series of separate campaigns for different events. When promoting these online, how should they be treated?

Different approaches

As with all questions of web marketing, the approach you take should be decided based on your goals. For example, are you trying to inform existing customers or supporters about your new campaign, or are you attracting a new set of customers/supports who aren't already engaged by your organisation? Are you simply giving information, or are you facilitating communication between people who want to get involved in the campaign?

Informing existing customers or supporters

If your goal is to inform existing customers or supporters, then it makes sense to integrate the campaign as a sub-section of your website. This way, customers who already know your brand can be directed to your campaign activity, without needing to differentiate branding or set up an entirely new website.

Attracting new customers or supporters

If you are reaching more broadly, it makes sense to launch a separate campaign-specific website, with its own search engine optimisation and marketing. This will enable you to more easily reach new customers that don't already know about your main activities, but are looking for something that matches your campaign.

The campaign website can easily link back to your organisation's main website, so people can find out more about your organisation, beyond just the campaign.

Facilitating communication between people

Where the focus is on getting the community around the campaign to share views, information and photos, a social-networking based approach might be better than a campaign website. Social networks like Facebook already contain the technology and infrastructure designed to help people share, and that technology is free.

Drive your campaign forward

As always, the question comes down to budget, timing and resources. Different strategies, including a mix of strategies, will be appropriate for different campaigns.